You can just see those defensive backs, from as far as San Francisco and as near as Florham Park, from the AFC stronghold in New England and the NFC East outposts in Dallas, Washington and, oh yes, Philadelphia, slipping the wrapping off their Madden NFL 16 video games and seeing him, outstretched like a bird in flight, his tattooed arms spread wide, the ball settled into the fingertips of his left hand.

You can see all those defensive backs staring down at the image of Odell Beckham Jr., the newest NFL poster boy in more ways than one, and thinking to themselves, “This season, not on my watch.’’

Like it or not, at the tender age of 23, Beckham embarks on Year 2 with a target on his back, along with the No. 13. He danced and pranced and ran free as a storied Giants rookie, and look where that got the rest of the league, gasping at his talent and grabbing at air as he shredded defenses, set receiving records and became the Next Big Thing in a league that specializes in instant celebrity, deserving or not.

Beckham is worthy, and that makes him even more of a marked man.

“I’m not so much worried about being targeted,’’ Beckham said Wednesday. “I know maybe it is a little self-inflicted. I’m just going to be a target in other people’s eyes, something that I have to look out for, so just protecting yourself and knowing that there are 52 other people that have your back. It makes it less concerning for me to really worry about.’’

It is not called a Sophomore Slump for nothing. Even in 16 games, Beckham will be hard-pressed to duplicate the numbers (91 receptions, 1,305 yards, 12 touchdowns) he gorged on in only 12 games. The word is out on him.

It was big-brotherly of Victor Cruz to come to Beckham’s defense after the Jaguars last weekend tried to rough up Beckham, saying: “I felt like some of those defensive backs were kind of gunning for him.’’

But it probably did Beckham no good. Everyone saw what they saw – safety Sergio Brown bearing in on Beckham after the ball sailed wide on the second play, and Beckham later taking a shot at Brown after an incompletion.

“I didn’t see that and there was no flag thrown, so no harm, no foul,’’ Beckham said, smiling.

Beckham is going to have to fight his own battles – or, more precisely, steer clear of his own battles. The best way to antagonize a cornerback or safety is to flat-out beat him. Turning this into a mano-a-mano display of manhood is going to get the 5-foot-11, 198-pound Beckham hurt.

“He is not going to be that way, I don’t believe so,’’ said coach Tom Coughlin, admitting he’s had a private conversation with Beckham about keeping his cool. “You’ve got to stay away from those personal battles. … Odell is going to improve on that.’’

Beckham concedes some of this is indeed self-inflicted, arising out of his astonishing production intertwined with his flair (one-handed catches), fondness for dancing in the end zone and his demonstrative annoyance when things don’t go his way.

“I could rub a lot of people the wrong way if they don’t know me,’’ Beckham said. “Also having success at the same time, I’m sure that if you were going against me, you wouldn’t want to see that. I wouldn’t want a [defensive back] breaking up the ball every single play and him dancing all in my face as well. I could understand why things may be the way they are and you are going to have to be able to handle it.’’

The Giants do not want to put out Beckham’s fire, but it has to be controlled. He says he realizes “it’s going to be a test all year and it’s just something you’re going to have to deal with’’ and insists he’s disciplined enough to “turn the other cheek, Martin Luther King or Malcolm X approach, whichever one you want to go for.’’

Maturity cannot be penciled into a calendar. The Giants hope Beckham’s kicks in, and stays in, even as those paid to stop him bear down on him.